UFC Fight Night Wichita: Preview And Predictions

UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will be held tonight (March 9th) at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Here is a quick look of the main card fights with a short preview and my predictions for the fights. We will start at the bottom of the card and work our way up to the main event. There has been talk that Julian Erosa vs Grant Dawson could be moved to the main card but I haven’t heard it was confirmed so I will not include that fight at this point.

Omari Akhmedov 17-4-1 vs. Tim Boetsch 21-12
Akhmedov is 6′ and 184 pounds with a reach of 73″. This powerful Russian has earned his nickname the “Wolverine” with his fighting style. Coming off a draw against Marvin Vettori, Akhmedov won his two previous fights.

Boetsch comes in at 6′ and 185 pounds and “The Barbarian” looks to lay heavy hands on his opponent. Boetsch has split his last 4 fights and needs a win to get back on track. Akhmedov is a slight favorite in this one but I think “The Barbadian” might catch him for the win.
My Prediction: Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch

Beneil Dariush 15-4-1 vs. Drew Dober 20-8
Dariush at 5′ 10″ 156 pounds is coming off a win over Thiago Moisés and ranks as the number 20 lightweight in the world and comes in as a moderate favorite in this fight.

Dober at 5’8″ 156 pounds comes in a little thicker but also gives up a 2″ reach advantage to Dariush. Dober is on a 3 fight win streakand has won 5 of his last 6 contests. While the numbers lean towards Dober the truth is I don’t feel his level of competition has really matched Dariush and I think Dober is in for a long night.
My Prediction: Beneil “Benny” Dariush

Jun 4, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; James Vick (blue) fights Benell Dariush (red) during UFC 199 at The Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Blagoy Ivanov 16-2 vs. Ben Rothwell 36-10
Blagoy rolls in at 5’11” 254 pounds with a 73″ reach. Before coming off a decision loss to Junior Dos Santos “BAGA” had won his 5 previous fights. In fact his only other semi recent loss was to Alexander Volkov one of the top heavyweights in the world. Winning 10 of his last 12 :BAGA” is a solid fighter who can swing for the fences or work for the decision.

Ben Rothwell towers above Ivanov at 6’4″ and 264 pounds with a 80″ reach. Solid 7″ reach advantage and some power in his jabs makes Ben a dangerous match up for “BAGA” An experienced fighter who is also coming off a loss to Dos Santos has won 4 of his last 5 battles.
My Prediction: Ben Rothwell

Niko Price 12-2 vs. Tim Means 28-10-1
Price at 6′ 170 pounds and 76″ reach has won 3 of his last 5 but is coming off a loss to Abdul Razak Alhassan. Niko can be a bit wild sometimes with reward other times leading to him taking big shots. Coming in as the underdog Price will look to silence his critics in Wichita.

Means is 6’2″ 170 pounds with a 75″ reach. Nicknamed “The Dirty Bird” the veteran has lost 3 of his last 6 fights and has seemed to struggle as of late finding his game. Tim’s last fight he looked to have found his way earning a first round TKO over Ricky Rainey.
My Prediction: Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means

Elizeu Zaleski 20-5 vs. Curtis Millender 17-3
Zaleski hit the scales at 170 pounds standing 5’11” with a 73″ reach. Coming off a big second round TKO against Luigi Vendramini Zaleski has won 6 straight fights and 10 of his last 11. A dangerous striker with a nickname that describes his attack from anywhere style “CAPOEIRA” is as deadly as that moniker suggests.

Millender stands at 6’2″ 170 pounds with a 78″ reach. Capitalizing on his 5″reach advantage with jabs and quick straights will earn Millender points. Winner of 9 straight fights Millender is as hot as they come right now and comes in a slight favorite. This shoyld be one helluva fight.
My Prediction: Curtis “Courtious” Millender

Derrick Lewis 21-6 vs. Junior Dos Santos 20-5
Dos Santos weighed in at 246 pounds standing 6’4″ with a 77″ reach. JDS is an aggressive fighter who likes to set the pace of the fight and strike fast and often. Junior is a former UFC champion would love to make one more run at the title. JDS has won his last two fights and will look to continue tha streak tonight in the main event as a moderate favorite.

Lewis aka “The Black Beast” tipped the scales at a heavy 265 pounds standing 6’1″ with a 79″ reach giving him the slight distance advantage. One pinch power that is what you need to know about Lewis. Derrick is not as skilled or nearly as smooth a striker as JDS but “The Black Beast” can end this with one punch fight fans. Coming off a loss to world champion Daniel Cormier Lewis had won his last 3 previous fights in dramatic fashion. Lewis is the underdog and will need to land that big hand to win this fight.
My Prediction: Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis

Over all I think it is a good card and has some close fights that should make for a very entertaining night. Beating Lewis would push JDS back into the title talk and Millender could benefit greatly if he can defeat Zaleski. If you don’t have ESPN plus worry not just follow @MSBFightClub on Twitter for all the news and updates as we live tweet the main card tonight. We will also provide some coverage of the prelims so check in with us and follow all the action with MSB.

Follow me on Twitter at
@MSBFightClub
@DamonSmith34

Checkout my article on the main event Derrick Lewis vs Dos Santos

http://marylandsportsblog.com/ufc-wichita-main-event-mayhem/

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Damon Smith

I am the new writer for combat sports such as UFC, Bellator, Boxing and WWE here with MSB. I have been involved in pro wrestling on the Indie circuit for over 20 years as Devin Storm. Owner of Rampage All-Star Wrestling and talent manager and announcer for a few other promotions. An avid sports fan born and raised in Texas. I am married to my beautiful wife Jodi and have two sons Dustin and Dalton. Life long passion for Pro Wrestling and love MMA so getting this gig was amazing for me. You can expect not only WWE and UFC news but also some gems from other promotions in these two sports. So buckle up buttercup it's gonna be a wild ride. Follow me on twitter at @damonsmith34 and @MSBFightClub

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